Flights of fancy

From European Voice's Entre-Nous column

1/11/12, 9:09 PM CET

Updated 4/23/14, 9:14 PM CET

Jerzy Buzek visited every member state but one during his time as Parliament president.

Jerzy Buzek, the outgoing European Parliament president, likes to boast of his long list of travels across the EU and the world during his two-and-a-half-year term. He told a valedictory reception at the Brussels Press Club on Monday (9 January) that he travelled 178,000 kilometres, on 56 “official” and “working” visits, including trips to China, the United States, Canada, Uruguay, as well as 26 EU member states.

Only 26? He never got to visit Slovenia as president, he admitted – hastily adding that a trip planned for last December had to be scrapped at the last minute when elections were called there.

So by the time Buzek hands in his gavel and chauffeured limousine next Tuesday (17 January), when his successor is chosen in Strasbourg, Slovenia will have a proud boast of its own: it was the only member state to avoid a visit from President Buzek.